Start An Interior Decorating Business - Business Ideas
Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.
Interior design is one of the most exciting and rewarding fields to enter. Interior designers help clients create functional, beautiful spaces that reflect their personalities.
The demand for Interior decor is booming and showing no signs of slowing soon. If you love enhancing the look of interior spaces, starting an interior décor business can be a great business idea.
To start an interior décor business, you must possess a working knowledge of space planning, textiles, color schemes, and more. You will work with architects, engineers, and builders to plan the look and function of indoor spaces.
Starting an interior decorating business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.
If you're interested in how to sell interior decorating service, or selling interior decorating service online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.
Key Stats
Startup Costs
Min Startup Costs | Max Startup Costs | |
---|---|---|
Office Space Expenses |
$0 |
$7,000 |
Equipment & Supply Expenses |
$66 |
$700 |
Inventory Expenses |
$50 |
$9,750 |
Software Expenses |
$12 |
$575 |
Advertising & Marketing Costs |
$0 |
$3,000 |
Website Costs |
$13 |
$215 |
Specific Industry Expenses |
$0 |
$500 |
Total Startup Costs |
$141 |
$21,740 |
Case Studies
Successful Businesses
Business | URL | Rank | |
---|---|---|---|
Luxury Design |
luxurydesignbusinessjournal.com |
321,921 |
|
INTERIORZINE |
interiorzine.com |
375,909 |
|
Design Arc Interiors |
designarcinteriors.com |
422,468 |
|
Capella Kincheloe |
capellakincheloe.com |
488,800 |
|
Interior Marketing Group |
imgnyc.com |
790,031 |
|
Corporate Interiors |
corporate-interiors.com |
2,478,924 |
|
WPL Interior Design |
wpldesign.com |
2,913,559 |
|
Heather Garrett Design, Inc. |
heathergarrettdesign.com |
3,130,979 |
|
Delia Designs: Residential Interior Design |
delia-designs.com |
3,451,323 |
|
KHB Interiors |
khbinteriors.com |
3,920,367 |
|
Church Interiors, Inc. |
churchinteriors.com |
3,949,924 |
Pros & Cons
Pros | Description |
---|---|
Flexibility |
You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own. |
Ability to start your business from home |
It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning! |
Rewarding work |
Starting a interior decorating business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about. |
Scalable |
With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers. |
Meaningful business connections |
You never know who you will meet as a interior decorating business. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity! |
Quick build time |
The average time it takes to build your product is quick - typically around 7 months. This will allow you to bring your product to market faster. |
Cons | Description |
---|---|
Crowded Space |
Competition is high when it comes to your interior decorating business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies. |
Low margins |
The gross margins for your interior decorating business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability. |
Work can be inconsistent |
As a interior decorating business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable. It's important to set boundaries and budget accordingly based on the amount of work you plan to have. |
Lack of benefits |
With a interior decorating business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming. |
Taxes |
As a interior decorating business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it. |
No safety net |
Typically, as a interior decorating business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times. |
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings